Pirates, fiends and young'uns in onesies and pleather gathered at Felons Barrel Hall in Brisbane (4 March) to fill their sails with the life-breathing wind of DZ Deathrays.
Annoying Neighbours were first up at the shindig, for a time of friendly community bonding. Frontman Jaidyn Harrison carries an 'Angus Young of Gen Z' vibe, beneath a shirtless afro-and-mo combo. What a street party (yes there was a circle pit).DZs are a suave, casual outfit, with mildly dark themes and dank memes, but a sunny disposition as the name of their two-part album, 'Positive Rising', suggests.
Fans who've been on been onboard the longest were stoked to cop a bindle of tunes from their 'Black Rat' record (2014) including 'Ocean Exploder' and, of course, 'Gina Works At Hearts'; they even dropped in 'Cops Capacity' from 2012 album 'Bloodstreams'.
More recent hits 'Like People' and 'Fired Up' frolic off the tongues of the masses and parlay a few comfortable riffs into something interesting, encouraging and still easily digestible. "Getting fired up when I see you around / It's written on these walls."
The (sold out) Felons Barrel Hall swayed collectively through 'Total Meltdown' all the way to 'Shred For Summer' as we said hello to autumn together (yes there was another circle pit). It's a fine spot, beside the Brisbane River, looking over to the Story Bridge and feeling properly nautical and newly cultural all at once.
The band's description on Wiki as a dance-punk outfit seems like an oversimplification, although literally accurate. There's a depth to the packed dancefloor, a smoothness to the swagger – who am I kidding, that's exactly what they are.
DZ Deathrays cook with gas, a rockin' barbecue that you can bring all your afflictions to for a good time.
